Witness History Podcast
History told by the people who were there. For nine minutes every weekday, Witness History takes you back to moments which have shaped our world.
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by and curious about the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there.
For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.
Recent episodes explore everything from how the Excel spreadsheet was developed, the creation of cartoon rabbit Miffy and how the sound barrier was broken.
We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: the moment Reagan and Gorbachev met in Geneva, Haitian singer Emerante de Pradines鈥� life and Omar Sharif鈥檚 legendary movie entrance in Lawrence of Arabia.
You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, like the invention of a stent which has saved lives around the world; the birth of the G7; and the meeting of Maldives鈥� ministers underwater. We cover everything from World War Two and Cold War stories to Black History Month and our journeys into space.
Episodes to download
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Birmingham Pub Bombings
Thu 21 Nov 2013
In 1974, bombs exploded at two busy pubs in Birmingham, killing 21 - the IRA were blamed
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The Execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa
Wed 20 Nov 2013
In 1995, writer Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight Ogoni rights activists were executed in Nigeria
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Lee Harvey Oswald in the USSR
Tue 19 Nov 2013
Before he shot President Kennedy, Oswald spent two and a half mysterious years in Minsk
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The Jonestown Massacre
Mon 18 Nov 2013
In November 1978 an American cult leader ordered more than 900 people to kill themselves.
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Yemen Civil War
Fri 15 Nov 2013
Red Cross doctors tried to help casualties from both sides in Yemen in the 1960s.
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Baby Fae and the Baboon Heart Transplant
Thu 14 Nov 2013
In 1984 doctors in California tried a revolutionary operation on a two-week-old baby.
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Death in the Boxing Ring
Wed 13 Nov 2013
In 1982, the boxer Deuk-Koo Kim died of brain damage after a world title fight
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Dustbowl Storms in the US
Tue 12 Nov 2013
In November 1933, one of the first big dust-storms hit central United States
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Armistice Day 1918
Mon 11 Nov 2013
On November 11th 1918 at 11am, the guns of World War One finally fell silent.
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Canada's Biggest Peacetime Evacuation
Fri 8 Nov 2013
In 1979 a train carrying tonnes of dangerous chemicals crashed in Canada
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The Death of Dylan Thomas
Thu 7 Nov 2013
In November 1953 Welsh poet Dylan Thomas died in New York aged just thirty-nine.
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The Green March in the Sahara
Wed 6 Nov 2013
In 1975 hundreds of thousands of Moroccans marched into disputed territory in the desert.
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Waterford Kamhlaba multi-racial school
Tue 5 Nov 2013
In 1963 southern Africa's first multi-racial school opened in Swaziland.
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Degenerate Art and the Nazis
Mon 4 Nov 2013
In 1937, the Nazis staged an exhibition to ridicule modern art - it was seen by millions
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The Samaritans Helpline
Fri 1 Nov 2013
In 1953 the first phone helpline for people considering suicide was set up in London
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The Assassination of Indira Gandhi
Thu 31 Oct 2013
On 31 October 1984, Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was shot by her bodyguards
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Hurricane Mitch
Wed 30 Oct 2013
In 1998 Central America was hit by Hurricane Mitch - more than 18,000 people died
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Tokyo Rose - The Most Hated Woman in America
Tue 29 Oct 2013
In 1949 Iva Toguri was falsely accused of making Japanese propaganda during World War Two
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The Wall Street Crash of 1987
Mon 28 Oct 2013
On Black Monday, Wall Street prices fell by a record rate in October 1987
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The 麻豆社's First Man in Moscow
Fri 25 Oct 2013
In 1963, Erik de Mauny became the first 麻豆社 correspondent based in the Soviet Union.
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A Heroine of Burundi's Civil War
Thu 24 Oct 2013
In 1993, Marguerite Barankitse came to symbolise hope for peace in Burundi's civil war
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Beirut Barracks Bombing
Wed 23 Oct 2013
In 1983, hundreds died in suicide attacks on American and French bases in Lebanon
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Spying for the Stasi
Tue 22 Oct 2013
The secret life of Sascha Anderson, an avant-garde poet who informed for the Stasi
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The Opening of Sydney Opera House
Mon 21 Oct 2013
In 1973 Sydney Opera House finally opened its doors to the public, 10 years late
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Death of Grenada's Revolution
Fri 18 Oct 2013
The day Maurice Bishop leader of Grenada was killed. Six days later the US invaded
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The Scottsboro Boys: A Miscarriage of Justice in the US
Thu 17 Oct 2013
In 1931, nine black teenagers were convicted of raping two white girls in Alabama.
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Walter Sisulu is Released
Wed 16 Oct 2013
In October 1989, anti-apartheid leader Walter Sisulu was freed from jail after 26 years.
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The Brighton Hotel Bombing
Tue 15 Oct 2013
The day Margaret Thatcher survived a bomb attack in October 1984
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Escape from Sobibor Death Camp
Mon 14 Oct 2013
Hundreds of Jewish slave labourers staged a revolt in a Nazi death camp in October 1943
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Thomas Sankara African Revolutionary
Fri 11 Oct 2013
When one of Africa's most celebrated leaders was killed in a coup in Burkina Faso
